Waitarere

Horowhenua District•Manawatū-Whanganui Region
Police data to:

Safety Score (12-month average)

56

–

Crime rate

26.6 per 1,000

Population 2,406

Total crimes (past 12 months)

64

Trend (last 3 months)

▼ 25.0%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#90 / 143

Bottom 37%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Police data to August 2026

Waitarere Overview

Crime Count
No data
0
20
50
100
Assault
Sexual offences
Robbery, blackmail, and extortion
Burglary
Theft

Most common offences by count were theft (46.9%), burglary (40.6%), and assault (9.4%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime activity peaked in October 2025, March 2026, and May 2026.

Waitarere crime statistics: common questions

Is Waitarere safe?

Waitarere recorded 64 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 26.6 per 1,000 residents across about 2,406 residents. These are offences recorded by New Zealand Police, which reflect what was reported and recorded rather than all crime that occurred.

What is the crime rate in Waitarere?

The crime rate in Waitarere is 26.6 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 64 recorded offences across about 2,406 residents. A rate counts offences against a suburb's resident population, so town centres and commercial areas can show high rates because offences there involve people who do not live there.

What is the most common crime in Waitarere?

The most common offence category in Waitarere is theft, with 30 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 47% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is burglary (26).

Is crime going up or down in Waitarere?

Recorded offences in Waitarere have fallen 25.0% over the most recent three-month period compared with the previous three months. This is a three-month comparison, not a year-on-year one, and short windows move around a lot in small areas.

How does Waitarere compare with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region?

Waitarere ranks 90 of 143 suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region by crime rate, where 1 is the highest rate. This is a ranking of recorded crime, not a safety rating, and it compares Waitarere only with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Waitarere come from?

Figures for Waitarere, Horowhenua District come from New Zealand Police recorded victimisation data, published through police.govt.nz, and are grouped to Stats NZ Statistical Area 2 (SA2) boundaries. They count offences recorded by Police, so they reflect reporting and recording practice as well as underlying offending.

Looking for a plain-English safety summary?

👉 See how safe Waitarere is on SafeSuburbs.co.nz